Based on the matchups, the divisional round of the 2016 NFL playoffs is bound to give us more excitement than the wild-card games. Here are just some of things we’ll be looking out for this weekend.
Seattle Seahawks AT 
Atlanta Falcons
Julio vs. Richard: The Rematch
This game could come down to whether the Seahawks can control the clock with an effective running attack, keeping Matt Ryan and the dangerous Falcons offence off the field. But the matchup we all want to see is Julio Jones vs. Richard Sherman II.
Much transpired the last time these two teams met back on Oct. 16. From a heated confrontation on the Seahawks’ sideline following a Jones touchdown…
…to the now-infamous play near the end of the game where Sherman almost certainly got away with pass interference.
That said, while most (if not all) of the attention will be on Jones and Sherman, Jones himself said this week that the matchup is bigger than just two people.
Sure, Julio.
The Falcons star receiver went on to say Wednesday that he’ll have no problem “alerting” officials if Sherman gets handsy on Saturday.
“When we’re in a game, I’ll go look at them like that and say, ‘You didn’t see it?’ if they didn’t see it,” Jones told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “I’m not going to sit up there and cry about anything. It is what it is. But you’ve got to alert them.”
This could very well turn out to be the best game of the weekend.
Houston Texans AT 
New England Patriots
Clowney, Mercilus are Texans’ lone hope
The Patriots are an unbelievable 10-2 in the divisional round in the Tom Brady era, and enter their matchup with Houston as massive 16-point favourites.
If the Texans are going to have any sort of chance at stopping the Pats from making history, it’ll have to start on the defensive line—particularly with Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus.
Houston’s most disruptive defenders both played key roles in last Saturday’s win over the Raiders. Clowney’s biggest play of the wild-card game was a spectacular first-quarter interception that set up Houston’s first TD, and despite recording just one tackle the former No. 1 pick caused headaches for Oakland all night long. In his last four games, Clowney has four tackles for loss, three sacks, the interception and a forced fumble.
But while Clowney gets most of the attention, it’s the surprisingly underrated Mercilus who could have the biggest impact on the game Saturday night. No. 59 had two sacks and three tackles for a loss last week against the Raiders to give him a total with five sacks and six tackles for a loss in his last two playoff games.
Due to a complete lack of any real offensive threat from Houston at all, there’s no reason to think this game will be close. But if we’ve learned anything at all about the Brady-led Patriots over the years, it’s that getting after No. 12 can cause big problems. And if there’s one thing the Texans are good at, it’s doing just that.
Pittsburgh Steelers AT 
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs could give Pittsburgh’s Big 3 trouble
This is the first playoffs in which Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have all played together, and boy did it get off to a great start.
Big Ben started red hot on wild-card weekend in large part thanks to Brown, who scored two 50-plus-yard touchdowns in the first quarter last week against Miami, becoming the first-ever player to do so in a post-season game.
But it was Bell who best sustained his performance over the full game, using his uniquely patient running style to slice up the Dolphins defence and set a franchise playoff record for rushing yards in the process.
The Steelers were basically able to put last weekend’s game out of reach by halftime, but Sunday’s game in Kansas City presents a much tougher challenge.
It’s true that Pittsburgh obliterated the Chiefs earlier this season, and it’s also true that the Steelers have won four of the past five meetings between the two. But it’s been a long time since that Week 4 beatdown; K.C. has lost just twice since. And while the Chiefs defence is ranked 24th in yards against, they’re seventh in points against and created the most turnovers of any team this season — including eight in the last three games.
With a major home-field advantage, dominant pass rush and dangerous secondary (tied for first in interceptions with 18), it’s fathomable that the Chiefs could give Pittsburgh’s Big 3 some problems.
Green Bay Packers AT 
Dallas Cowboys
Will Rodgers’s heroics be enough to beat the Cowboys?
Aaron Rodgers’s blistering run is well documented: 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions in leading the Packers to seven straight wins, outscoring opponents 223–125 over that span.
Even with the news that Jordy Nelson will sit out with fractured ribs, A-Rodge could very well keep that up Sunday against the Cowboys, whose defence gave up the seventh-most pass yards this season.
Based on their Week 4 matchup at Lambeau, however, Green Bay’s ability to slow down the Cowboys’ offence is what should worry Packer faithful.
That said, the performance against Ezekiel Elliott was a relative outlier for a stout Packer’ defence. They allowed more than 100 yards just five times this season.
If Green Bay can at least slow down Elliott (something only the Giants have been able to do) and force rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to play out of his comfort zone in order to beat them in his first-ever playoff game, we could see Rodgers stretch that winning streak to eight.
